Where We Started From
by She's My Baby
Summary: Sandy and Kirsten take a trip to Berkeley. Nostalgia ensues.


**A/N : **_We hope you enjoy this very long fic. There will be smutty accompaniments to the regular chapters. The smut will be posted elsewhere but we will link it for you._

Sandy sat in the cab and looked over to his wife, who was gazing out the window. He had surprised her with plane tickets to Berkeley, their old stomping grounds. Just the two of them, alone, finally. It seemed like they never had any time alone any more.

Her eyes were lit up with child-like innocence as she stared out of the window, taking in the familiar sights and how they have changed over the years. How Berkeley has changed since they left for Newport. And when Sandy kissed her on the head, the grin on her face widened even more.

He whispered into her ear. "Excited?"

Kirsten Cohen turned to face him, with a look that more than answered his question. She found his hand and squeezed it tight, thanking him for this unexpected escapade. "Sandy, what are we really doing here?" She asked in a hushed tone, looking back outside to try and figure out where they were going, based on the direction they were headed towards.

Sandy squeezed her hand and stroked the ring that resided on a certain finger. "I just thought we could use some time alone. We deserve a little get away." He explained. "And what better a place?" He asked, his free hand offering the view.

She smiled back at him. They had talked about their recent lack of Sandy-Kirsten Quality Time together, but Kirsten didn't expect that Sandy would do all this just for the two of them. It felt nice to be back here in Berkeley, where they started from.

"I miss it here." As they drove past familiar scenery, she couldn't help but miss her years of living here. They were probably the best of her life, even when they were just living at the back of a mail truck. She smirked to herself, remembering the phrase Sandy often uttered to Seth. _When the mail truck's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'.  
_  
"Here we are." Sandy said suddenly as the cab came to a stop. Sandy opened the door and helped his wife out. They stood in front of a little college coffee house. "Familiar?" He asked.

Kirsten was startled when the cab pulled to a stop. She didn't recognize where they were, or at least, not until Sandy helped her out of the cab and they stood right in front of a coffee house. Her breath caught in her throat. "Oh, Sandy." She breathed in awe.

"Yeah." He breathed, matching her tone. He wrapped his arms around her waist loosely as he came up behind her. "We need this trip. It just feels right." He whispered the last sentence in her ear and he left a small kiss on her neck.

The ear-to-ear smile on Kirsten's face never faltered as she linked her fingers through Sandy's. She tilted her head sideways, giving him a kiss on the cheek before she tugged at his hands.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She wriggled out of his embrace, looking far more excited 

than she had been in weeks. Kirsten took hold of Sandy's hands in her own, and began pulling him towards the coffee shop. Her eyes danced mischievously. "Do you still remember what I always ordered when we came here?" She challenged, laughing.

"Oh, baby. I was so stoned..." He paused for a second. "I'm just kidding. Let's see. We came here so many times. But I think the first time you had..." He thought for a moment.

"A cappuccino." He nodded his head, agreeing with himself. "A medium cappuccino."

Still smiling, although looking a little taken aback, Kirsten raised an eyebrow at Sandy. She didn't expect that he would actually remember what she ordered on their first date in that particular coffee shop. The size, too.

Kirsten linked her arm through his, leading him towards the open doors of the café, breathing in the delicious aroma of fresh coffee. Berkeley might not have the best coffee that she ever drank, but it didn't mean she didn't miss them anyway.

"So, is this like our first date all over again?" She batted her long eyelashes melodramatically at him, feigning being swept off her feet, which he was already doing to her anyway. Without waiting for an answer, she turned to the girl behind the bar. "A medium cappuccino, please."

Sandy smiled as his wife ordered. "Same for me." He told the young girl behind the counter. "And a biscotti." He added. The girl rang them up and Sandy pulled out his wallet to pay.

"I'll go find us a table." Kirsten offered, upon seeing Sandy take out money to pay for their order. She squeezed his wrist lightly, before making her way over to the table closest to her, which happened to be in the middle of the café.

However, she paused, remembering her earlier question which he hadn't answered. Kirsten did a rain check on that table, and instead made her way over to the table on the farthest corner, with a good view of the people walking in the streets of Berkeley, her Louboutin heels clicking on the wooden floor. From memory, she remembered this was where the two of them sat on that fateful first date. Smiling, she slid into the seat and waited patiently for Sandy to come join her.

As Sandy paid the woman, he saw his wife go to a table out of the corner of his eye. However, when he looked up after getting the change, she was not at the table he had seen her at. He glanced quickly over the coffee shop and spotted her at _their_ table.

He slid into the chair. "You remembered." He said happily. He opened the plastic wrapping on the biscotti and broke it in half. He pulled a napkin from the stack and placed one half of the treat on the napkin. Sandy slid it across the table for his wife.

"I'm not that old, Sandy." Kirsten retorted with a musical laugh that contradicted the tone that she had used to berate him. She accepted the half-biscotti, grateful, having not eaten anything since they left Newport an hour or so ago.

Her lips curled into a warm smile, not being able to help herself. She was happy that he brought her here, and she was even happier that she would be able to spend more time with him alone. "Besides, this is supposed to be like our first date all over again, right?" Kirsten asked teasingly, biting into one end of the treat.

"Good point." Sandy chuckled as he looked into the plastic cup his coffee was in. "Thanks for taking this trip with me." He said as his arm stretched across the table and sat waiting in hopes of her hand sliding into his.

Another smile made her eyes light up as Kirsten spotted Sandy's hand making its way across the table. Just as he hoped for, she tentatively slid her tiny hand underneath his, feeling a pleasant warmth envelope her as skin came into contact with skin.

"I'm glad to be here, too." She said softly, looking around. "I didn't realize how much I missed this place." Kirsten sighed contentedly, memories of her earlier years playing in her head.

Sandy squeezed his wife's hand. He smiled and nodded faintly in agreement with her words. He watched her eyes as she strolled down mental memory lane.

"Seems like just the other day we were sitting here for the first time together." He smiled to himself. "Who would have guessed that that first coffee..." Sandy let the pause persist as he twisted his wedding ring, showing Kirsten that he was talking about how far they had come.

"It was our lucky day." Kirsten said, repeating what she always told Sandy whenever they thought about that very fateful day almost twenty years ago, before she corrected herself. "_My_ lucky day."

She watched him as he twisted the wedding ring on his finger, which was more of her habit than his. Wordlessly, she pulled her hand away from his grasp.

But before she could make him wonder why she did that, she immediately replaced it with her other hand, the one where she wore a particular set of rings that both of them knew well. At the sight of two hands interlocked, both adorned with rings, she couldn't help but smile again.

Sandy smiled as she slid her hand into his. "Mine too." He chuckled as he stroked her wedding ring.

Out of curiosity, Kirsten asked. "So, what have you got in store for us today?" She was really wondering where they would go after this coffee shop. Not that she was enjoying the moment, because she was, but of course, she knew that they couldn't stay only here.

"Well, after we're finished here I thought we could go for a romantic walk as the sun sets." Sandy informed her. "Unless that would be too presumptuous."

"Oh, it wouldn't be presumptuous..." Kirsten assured him with a catchy grin, pausing in her sentence as she took her cup of cappuccino in her free hand for a drink. She felt the 

scalding liquid burn a warm trail down her throat, and couldn't help but think that somehow, the drink still tasted the same.

"... as long as you'll tell me what will make our walk romantic?" She hinted, smirking as she set the cup down on the table and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You. Me. The sun setting. Memories galore." Sandy listed. "If _you_ were to present _me_ with that, _I _would swoon." He shrugged at the end of that statement before popping the last of his biscotti into his mouth.

"So you want me to swoon?" Kirsten asked, laughing. She pulled her hand away from Sandy's so she could finish the remains of her sugary treat.

Smiling mischievously, she managed to slide her foot out of the shoes she was wearing, and her bare toes found themselves under the hem of Sandy's pants, feeling the skin above his socks. Playing footsie. It was how she teased him all the time way back. She was normally reserved whenever they were in a table full of people, but under the table, it was a different story.

"Maybe." Sandy said with a raise of his eyebrows. He then felt the bare toe of his wife on his skin. He smiled bashfully and ducked his head. As her foot continued, he looked back up to meet her eyes. "I love you." He said suddenly.

Blushing, Kirsten bowed her head so that Sandy wouldn't see the color creeping to her cheeks. She ceased what she was doing, and slid her foot easily back into her expensive shoes.

"I love you, too." She said softly, finally looking up at him as she answered. Blond hair fell in front of her eyes as she looked down again, only to take one last bite of her biscotti and have a small sip of her coffee to wash it down.

"Sandy, can we take that walk?" Kirsten asked suddenly, tilting her head up again to look at him earnestly, while finding his hand with hers. "Now?" She pressed, her voice still soft.

"Certainly." Sandy answered with a smile. He stood from the table and held her hand tighter as he helped her out of her chair. He took a last sip of his coffee and threw it in the trash.

Sandy opened the door for his wife and as soon as she was out, he wrapped his arm around her. His hand rubbed her arm up and down before settling at her waist, holding her to him. He left a sudden kiss on her head as they made their way down the sidewalk.

Thankful that their cappuccinos were in to-go cups, Kirsten allowed Sandy to help her out and about the coffee shop, still holding the medium-sized drink in her hands.

She breathed in the fresh air of Berkeley, the coolness of it making her skin tingle. The Californian air here was much cooler than down South, and Kirsten pulled her long coat tighter around her body as they walked down the street, not used to the lower temperature.

"Thank you." Kirsten breathed softly, tilting her head up and sideways to look at her husband. "For this. For taking me up here." She had a smile on her face as she spoke, her eyes focused on him, until she felt something wet on her skin that was not covered by her black coat.

"Anytime, baby." Sandy said as he left a kiss on her forehead. He then noticed his wife becoming distracted. He searched to find the problem and it registered what was up. He looked up to the sky.

Looking up, she saw that despite normal Californian weather, rain was about to fall. The smile on her face widened, and Kirsten felt more alive than ever, much more like the carefree girl that Sandy had met and fallen in love with at this very place.

"Tut, tut. Looks like rain." He said. The sidewalk they were walking on had a covering for such an event. Sandy pulled his wife under it. He walked on the left side of her so he could get wet from the rain if the wind turned rather than her getting soaked. "Still want to take our walk?" He asked his wife.

"Sandy!" Kirsten exclaimed, as he pulled her to the side where they were sheltered from the rain. She laughed lightly when he positioned herself at her left, presumably so that she really wouldn't get wet. But that was not what Kirsten wanted.

Maybe it was the coffee, or maybe it was the feeling of being back here in Berkeley even for just a few hours, but Kirsten found herself going back under the sky, with raindrops falling on her hair. She pulled Sandy along with her. "You did say you wanted to take a _romantic_ walk." She chastised with a look on her face that obviously left him with no choice. Her heels clicked loudly against the pavement as she began walking, keeping a hold on him so that he'd follow her.

Sandy laughed. "Well, I just figured..." He didn't finish his sentence. He wasn't used to seeing this side of his wife. Everyone changes as they grow older, Sandy knew that. It wasn't that Sandy didn't love his wife now because he _certainly _did, no doubt. But he did miss the spontaneous, less-reserved woman she was when they first met.

He followed his wife in the rain without any hesitation. Sandy never had a problem with the rain since it rained all the time in New York. When he moved California, Sandy began to miss the rain, which made the occasion when it did rain really enjoyable for him.

"Now _this_ is my idea for a romantic walk." Kirsten grinned at him, the back of her hand brushing against the back of his own hand. It was almost as if it was their first date, and they were tentative about holding hands. Without hesitation, she reached for him and tucked her much-smaller hand beneath his.

As Sandy and Kirsten turned a corner, he saw that they were alone on the sidewalk. Residents of Berkeley wouldn't want to be walking in the rain, Sandy realized. He suddenly pulled his wife so she would turn around towards him. He quickly grabbed her face and kissed her passionately as the raindrops hit them.

Turning around yet a familiar corner, Kirsten saw that by now they were alone on the street. Feeling adventurous, she was about to turn around and surprise him with a kiss, when the next thing she knew, their lips had met already. She smiled. They were so in sync with each other.

She threw her arms around his broad shoulders, her palms descending until they reached his chest. As their noses bumped, Kirsten tilted her head to the right and traced the bottom of his lip with her tongue, wordlessly asking for permission. Both of them were unmindful of the rain, which was slowly pouring harder on them.

Sandy instantly deepened the kiss when he felt her tongue on his lip. He was ecstatic that his wife was having no problem with their public display of affection. Usually kissing in the rain and the public would unnerve Kirsten. Not today, however.

Sandy's hands were planted firmly on his wife's back. A small clap of thunder sounded not too far away from where they were. The kiss was broken and Sandy simply smiled down at his wife. Her hair was wet and droplets of rain hit her face. He quickly kissed them away. They returned as soon as he kissed them away. He pulled back and chuckled lightly before leaving a dainty kiss on her nose.

"Have I told you lately you're beautiful when you're soaking wet from the rain?" He asked.

Although she was getting lost in the kiss that she wasn't even sure who initiated, Kirsten jumped and broke off at the sound of harsh thunder, startled. She looked momentarily scared and thought twice about being under the rain, when she found herself ultimately distracted by Sandy and his kisses.

She smiled as he left a kiss on her nose, feeling warmth rush all over her. Kirsten felt certain she was more in love with this man standing in front of her, which deemed impossible, seeing that she loved him so much already.

"Not that I can remember." Kirsten teased, looking down at herself. She was still pretty much dry, thanks to the coat that she had put over her clothes. However, the skin not covered by the thick material was damp, and rainwater was sliding off her heels as she stood.

"Well, you are." Sandy told her. He recalled her frightened expression from earlier. "Don't be scared, baby. You've got me to protect you." Sandy pulled his wife into his arms. He held her tightly against him, possessively. With her still against him, he tipped her chin up with his hand and slowly kissed her all over again. He fingers traced her jaw line.

In all honesty, how could Kirsten remain scared with a kiss like this? Slowly, she became oblivious to her surroundings as they continued on kissing in the rain, becoming more drenched by the minute.

She threw her arms around Sandy's shoulders, her fingers getting lost in his wet hair as she pressed herself closer to him, eliminating what little gap was left between their bodies.

Sandy's grip on his wife's small waist tightened. Suddenly, he pulled away and hugged her, his chin resting in the crook of her neck. His lips left a kiss on her ear lobe with a small chuckle. He pulled back to look at her. He smiled down at the sight. His hands went to her golden hair; he tried to smooth back her hair. Sandy wasn't very successful.

He continued to smile down at her. She was too adorable. He loved her so.

She was surprised when he suddenly pulled back. Usually, that was Kirsten's job, seeing as if she didn't, Sandy would go on and on. However, she remained pleasantly surprised as he enveloped her into a hug, and giggled when he kissed her ear, one of the spots that made her knees weak.

Kirsten blushed furiously at Sandy's intense look, but allowed him to run his hands over her tangled hair. But eventually, the scrutiny got on too much for her, and she buried her face in his neck instead.

"How do you make 'drenched in rain water' look so good?" Sandy asked her. "You could teach a class, my dear." He ran a hand down her back, letting it run up and down before resting on the small of her back.

Unable to help herself, Kirsten laughed, the sound floating softly in the air. She pulled back to look at Sandy, the blush still present in her already-rosy cheeks.

"Thanks, but teaching's not really my thing." She piped up in a joking manner, still chortling. Gingerly, she pushed away damp strands of hair away from her face, not really caring how horrible she must look already.

Her eyes took in Sandy, the damp clothes sticking to his toned body like second skin, and the hair that was ruffled not only with the rain, but with the after-effect of her running her hands through it. Kirsten's sapphire orbs darkened. "You don't look half-bad yourself, baby." She laughed again, amused at her own silliness.

Sandy smiled widely as his wife's laughter floated through the air. He was in love with that sound. He chuckled as she joked.

At her compliment, his eyebrows bounced up in skepticism. "Thanks, sweetie. But I doubt I'm pulling it off nearly as well as you are." He kissed her on her nose delicately. "I love you." He whispered after a few moments of silence.

"Oh, believe me." Kirsten spoke in a reassuring tone. She looked him up and down again, her grin widening with every detail she took in. "You pull it off quite nicely." Her voice had subconscious undercurrents of seductiveness, though it wasn't very blatant, seeing as they were out here in the wide open.

"Love you, too." She murmured, leaning in towards him for a kiss.

"Well, thank you." Sandy said politely, taking note of her tone but not letting it get the best of them. His lips met with hers and he deepened it immediately. After a few moments of 

heated kissing, Sandy was so far under for this woman. He could hear a faint wolf whistle; however, it only sounded far off because his head was so clouded.

Sure enough though, someone was whistling at the blissful couple. Whether they were enjoying the show or condemning it had yet to be determined.

Kirsten's eyes flew open at the sound of the whistle, lips still joined with Sandy. It took the sound of a second whistle before she completely pulled back with a smacking sound, and more color creeped up to her cheeks.

Slightly embarrassed at being caught, Kirsten couldn't bring herself to look around for the source of the sound. Instead, she pulled Sandy back towards the sheltered sidewalk, while attempting to smooth down her hair.

"Um." She finally broke her silence, looking decidedly awkward. However, unable to find words to speak out loud, she buried her face in his chest again, although she was smiling a little.

Sandy smiled at his wife's reaction and allowed her to easily pull him under the covering. He wrapped his arms around Kirsten's waist and pulled her closer to him. His hands slowly squeezed her hair, water dripping to the concrete. He smoothed her hair as she kept her head buried in his chest.

"It's alright, baby. It's not like home. Seth's not here. We can kiss in public if we wanna." Sandy chuckled lowly into her ear.

Tentatively, Kirsten looked up at her husband, with that small smile still dancing on her lips, though the pink tinge on her cheeks was more noticeable than that.

"Well, we still weren't _alone_." She commented shyly, making sure to emphasize the last word. She looked at him intently, her eyelids softly lowered to cover half her eyes. "Which is just the same thing as having Seth around."

Sandy snorted in laughter. He pulled his wife tightly to him before pulling back.

"Shall we keep walking?" He asked.

"Absolutely."

And together, they resumed their strolling along the sidewalk, covered from the rain pouring harder from the sky. Kirsten snuggled closer to Sandy, enjoying the warmth that radiated from him. She had never felt so secure, and she only felt that way whenever she was with her husband.

"So what else do you have in store for the both of us?" She asked in a child-like manner, resting her head on his chest as they walked further.

"Well, before I spill the beans about the whole night, is there anything in particular that you'd like to do? A sight you really wish to see?" Sandy asked as he rubbed her arm up and down.

"Hmm." Kirsten had to stop and think about that for a moment. She had lived in Berkeley for several years, and it was hard to pick one place to revisit.

"I'd like to see the University." She finally answered in a soft voice. While Berkeley was where she lived, the University had been her home. As soon as she said the words, Kirsten felt a deep yearning to see the school where she spent most of her college years. "Can we?"

Sandy smiled down at his wife. "Of course, we can." He left a kiss on her forehead. With a set destination, his pace increased slightly. His hand rested on his wife's hip as they walked. Thankfully, the campus wasn't too far away from where they were. For the umpteenth time that afternoon, Sandy was so glad that they had come back to this town.

_tbc…_


End file.
